title: Disability and comorbidity among major depressive disorder and double depression in African-American adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have examined differences in disability and comorbity among major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymia, and double depression in African-Americans (AA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A secondary analysis was performed on AA in the National Survey of American Life. Interviews occurred 2001-2003. A four stage national area probability sampling was performed. DSM-IV-TR diagnoses were obtained with a modified version of the World Health Organization's expanded version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Disability was measured by interview with the World Health Organization's Disability Assessment Schedule II.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to non-depressed AA, AA endorsing MDD (t=19.0, p=0.0001) and double depression (t=18.7, p=0.0001) reported more global disability; AA endorsing MDD (t=8.5, p=0.0063) reported more disability in the getting around domain; AA endorsing MDD (t=19.1, p=0.0001) and double depression (t=12.1, p=0.0014) reported more disability in the life activities domain. AA who endorsed double depression reported similar disability and comorbidities with AA who endorsed MDD. Few AA endorsed dysthymia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This was a cross-sectional study subject to recall bias. The NSAL did not measure minor depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study supports the idea of deleting distinct chronic subtypes of depression and consolidating them into a single category termed chronic depression.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin, 600 Highland Ave, Clinical Science Center K6/326, Madison, WI 53792-2455, United States. ertorres@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Elisa R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Epidemiology; Mental health; Minority health